Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Sign-in Sheets.

Sign-in Sheets

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 29, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


One common task in Word (particularly for those in charge of seminars or other public events) is to create sign-in sheets. You know the type of document I am talking about—one in which the sheet is full of horizontal lines where people write their name, address, and other information. (Exactly why are you at today's lecture, Ms. Jones? Hmmm?)

There are any number of ways you can create the horizontal lines in Word. One way is that you can type three dashes, press Enter a couple of times, type three more dashes, press Enter a couple of times, and keep doing this until you reach the end of the page. You can also use the table feature of Word to create a table for the information people will enter, and then just add a bottom border to the cells people will fill in.

The problem is that these approaches (and ones like them) can get very tedious over time. The quickest (and least tedious) approach I have found is to create a Word style for your sign-in lines. This style should rely on a creatively applied assortment of tabs to design the horizontal lines. For instance, if you want to leave space for a name, address, and phone number, you need three horizontal lines with two blank areas between the three. You can create such a line using tabs. Simply set them as follows:

  • 2 inches, right justified, with underscore leader
  • 2.5 inches, left justified, no leader
  • 4.5 inches, right justified, with underscore leader
  • 5 inches, left justified, no leader
  • 6.5 inches, right justified, with underscore leader

It would also be helpful for the paragraph to have the Space Before attribute (paragraph formatting) set to something like 18 points.

With the style defined, just make sure that your page margins are set to one inch on the left and right, and you are ready to go. Apply the style to a paragraph and all you need to do is press Tab five times for each row of underlines (five tabs, then Enter; five tabs, then Enter, etc.). I find this approach quick and easy, with professional-looking results every time.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11515) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Sign-in Sheets.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Removing Specific Fields

Word allows you to place all sorts of fields in your documents. If you want to search for only specific types of fields, ...

Discover More

Conditional Formatting with Data Imported from Access

If you want to apply a conditional format to data imported into Excel from Access, you may run into some difficulties ...

Discover More

Printing Rows Conditionally

Need to only print out certain rows from your data? It's easy to do if you apply the filtering or sorting techniques ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Understanding Font Styles

Fonts, by default, come with one or more styles that define variations of how that font is displayed in your document. ...

Discover More

Setting a Precise Custom Paper Size

Word allows you to define your own custom paper sizes. It is possible, though, that those sizes may change on their own. ...

Discover More

Avoiding a Section Break Booby Trap

Section breaks got your document formatting all messed up? It could be because of the way you added the section breaks in ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 0 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.